Units including a drive, in particular an engine as well as a compressor are already known in the art. Reference is made for example to US patent application 2007/017236 3A1. This application relates to an engine compressor unit where a drive that is not specified in more detail cooperates with an axial compressor. The engine compressor unit is characterized in that it is arranged in a common housing. This housing shields the known engine compressor unit relative to an ambient. The cited document relates to a particular routing of air compressed by the compressor, wherein at least a portion of the compressed air shall be used for cooling the drive.
The German publication document DE 43 00 264 A1 relates to an engine compressor unit where a drive unit and a compressor unit are respectively configured as rotation machines which are designated as rotating piston units. As can be derived from the document the rotation axes of the respective units are arranged parallel to one another and offset from each other on top of each other. The operating principle of the known engine compressor unit is based on a central transmission bolt which establishes a force transmission between the engine and the compressor.
A rotary engine of the general type described supra can also be derived from U.S. Pat. No. 1,968,694. This patent shows a rotary engine that includes an engine ring with a plurality of cylinders and a corresponding number of engine pistons, wherein the engine pistons are respectively linked by a connecting rod at a common connecting rod disc. The connecting rod disc rotates about a piston axis which is offset from the engine axis of the rotary engine by an eccentricity. In the known rotary engine in particular controlling the valves of the individual cylinders is particularly complex.